We’re experts, and we want people to know it, right? If we’re supposed to use authority when we blog, then we need to remember all the essay rules from college to make sure everyone knows we’re highly educated so they’ll trust our judgement.
Can you say, “Stiff shirt?”
Almost nothing is as big of a turn off as stuffy, stern blog post writing. It’s usually accidental, too. We just don’t know about this whole ‘blogging’ thing, and want to be good at it. Writing online is WAY different than we learned in school, so let me ‘school you’ a little bit at writing for your blog. (Catch that? Yeah, I’m fun like that.)
You want people to read your posts, so make it enjoyable. Remember, it really is all about the user’s experience, not your own advertising. Adjusting your perspective makes it easier to relate to your audience.
I have a couple of points that will make it easier to write conversationally. Let this be your checklist before you hit ‘publish’!
- Use contractions wherever you can.
- Use humor wherever appropriate.
- Write like you’re talking to one person.
- Avoid words with a lot of syllables, or a lot of long words in the same sentence.
- ALWAYS let it sit overnight! It’s just good advice.
None of us really know what we sound like right away. If you don’t believe me, wait till you go back next year and read what you wrote today! Even now, I find that exercise quite humbling. Know what, though? It also lets me know in a very real way how much I’ve improved. Waiting a day, trust me, is wise.
Get in the habit of writing in advance, even if it’s just a week. (I like to write a month in advance so I can spend more of my time perfecting the delivery.)
Does this kind of information help you? Tell me about it! Leave me your comments and questions here!
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